What Happens to Your Letters and Photos After They're Mailed to Deerfield Correctional

When you mail a letter or photos to someone at Deerfield Correctional, they won't receive your original pages or envelope. VADOC photocopies all incoming general correspondence and delivers only the copies to inmates. Mail can be opened, searched, and read by staff during processing. That's standard for facility mailrooms - so avoid sending anything you'd be uncomfortable having reviewed. What your loved one actually receives is a black-and-white copy of what you sent, not the original.

After VADOC photocopies your correspondence, the originals are destroyed. Your envelope, letter, and any photos get shredded once copying is complete. There's also a strict limit: inmates receive a maximum of three 8.5" x 11" black-and-white photocopied pages (front and back). The envelope copy counts as one of those three pages. Long letters and multiple photos get cut off fast - even when it feels like you're only sending a few things.

Legal mail is handled differently from regular letters. If an attorney or a court is sending legal correspondence, it must be mailed directly to the VADOC Central Mail Distribution Center for screening and inspection, rather than being treated like normal personal mail routed through the usual process.

If you’re trying to help with commissary or other needs, don’t tuck money into a letter and don’t mail checks or cash to the facility or VADOC headquarters. VADOC rejects mailed money, including checks, cash, and other items of monetary value. For money orders, VADOC directs families to send them with a deposit slip to JPay’s lockbox at: JPay, P.O. Box 278170, Miramar, FL 33027. Once JPay receives the money order, the funds are typically available to the inmate within three business days.

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• ✓ Keep each mailing short enough to fit the three-page black-and-white photocopy limit (remember: the envelope copy counts as one page).
• ✓ Don’t send originals you need back - VADOC shreds the original envelope and contents (including personal photos) after photocopying.
• ✓ Format with photocopies in mind - your loved one will receive black-and-white copies, not your original letter or prints.

Not sure if something will make it through? Keep it simple. Deerfield Correctional follows VADOC's photocopy process, so your loved one sees a black-and-white copy. With the three-page maximum (envelope included), you'll get better results sending fewer photos and a shorter note rather than cramming everything into one envelope.